https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blohm_%26_Voss_BV_138
The Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon), but nicknamed Der Fliegende
Holzschuh ("flying clog",[1] from the side-view shape of its fuselage) was a
World War II German trimotor flying boat that served as the Luftwaffe's main
seaborne long-range maritime patrol and naval reconnaissance aircraft.
A total of 297 BV 138s were built between 1938 and 1943.
The appearance of the BV 138 was unique, in its combination of unusual design
features, such as: twin boom tail unit, trimotor configuration, and fuselage
slung beneath the wings. One nickname, "the Flying Clog" was derived from the
shape of the slab-sided hull unit. These features together produced the
aircraft's ungainly appearance, but inspired a certain affection among its crew
and mechanics.
Three piston engines were used. The central engine was mounted above the wing,
driving a four-blade propeller, while the wing engines were lower, with
three-blade propellers. The pre-production prototypes and the BV 138 A-01 to BV
880 PS (868 hp, 647 kW) Junkers Jumo 205D two-stroke, opposed-piston aircraft
diesel engines. The engine cowlings also had an atypical appearance, due to the
unique nature of the vertical orientation of the six-cylinder opposed-piston
Jumo 205 diesel engines, and resembled the cowlings of 4 or 6-cylinder inverted
inline engines found on smaller civil and utility aircraft from the Jumo 205's
propshaft placement, emerging forward at the uppermost front end of the
powerplant.
The booms of the twin tail unit, much like the smaller Focke-Wulf Fw 189
twin-engined reconnaissance monoplane, extended horizontally from the rear of
the outer engine nacelles.
For hydrodynamic reasons, the hull featured a distinct "turn-down", or "beak" at
the stern, like the fuselage had been bent.
Two enclosed, powered gun turrets, each mounting a single MG 151/20 autocannon,
were located prominently at the bow and stern. A third, fully open Scarff
ring-like emplacement, behind the central engine, mounted a 13 mm MG 131 heavy
machine gun covered fields of fire obstructed from the other turrets by the
horizontal stabilizer.
Role
Maritime patrol
Long-Range Reconnaissance
Manufacturer
Blohm & Voss
Designer
Richard Vogt
First flight
15 July, 1937
Introduction
October, 1940
Primary user
Luftwaffe
Produced
Number built
297
In all, 227 examples of standard service variants of the BV 138 were built. The
first such variant, BV 138 C-1, began service in March 1941. While non-standard
variants carried a variety of armament, the standard variant featured two 20 mm
MG 151/20 cannons, one in a power-operated bow turret and one in a
power-operated stern turret, up to three 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns, and a 13 mm
(.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in the aft center engine nacelle. It could carry up
to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs or depth charges (under the starboard wing root
only) or, in place of these, up to 10 passengers.
Some examples of the BV 138 were adapted to specialized roles. The Bv 138 was
tested with the oft-used Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe RATO jettisonable rocket
pod, used in pairs, for shorter takeoff performance.[2] One anti-shipping
variant carried FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band maritime search radar. The BV
138 MS variant was converted for minesweeping,[3] and carried magnetic
field-generating degaussing equipment, including a hoop antenna with a diameter
equal to the length of the fuselage, which encircled the hull and wings, which
was also used on certain models of the Ju 52/3m trimotor transport used for the
same duty.
Specifications (BV 138 C-1)
General characteristics
Crew: 6, pilot, navigator, radio operator, nose gunner, rear gunner, upper rear
gunner + up to 10 passengers
Height: 5.90 m (19 ft 4 in)
Empty weight: 11,770 kg (25,950 lb)
Loaded weight: 14,500 kg (31,970 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,500 kg (38,590 lb)
in 6 cylinders, 647 kW (868 hp) 880 PS each
Performance
Maximum speed: 285 km/h @ 6,000 m (177 mph @ 19,700 ft)
Cruise speed: 200 km/h (124 mph)
Range: 4,300 km (2,670 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
Rate of climb: 220 m/min (729 ft/min)
Power/mass: 0.106 kW/kg (0.064 hp/lb)
Armament
covering upper rear area
engine, covering the top rear area
up to 6 x 50kg bombs or 4 x 150kg depth charges under starboard wing root only
(optional)
*
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